The End Of The Best Diet Plan

If you’re reading this, then it appears that you’ve made it all the way to the end of my free (and awesome) guide to creating The Best Diet Plan. Sweet!

At this point, I have just 4 things left to say.

1. Congrats!

First of all… congratulations are in order.

You’ve now learned more about diet, nutrition, and how to get the results you want than the majority of the population will ever learn in their lifetime. Congrats!

2. Put It To Use!

I hope you liked the guide and actually use what you’ve learned to create the diet plan that will work best for you and your specific goal.

Because honestly, reading and learning and understanding is great and all, but the only way it’s truly going to work is if you actually put it into action. So… do that.

3. But Wait, There’s MORE! So Much More!

Believe it or not, I still have a TON of information to share with you here at A Calorie Counter. While The Best Diet Plan was pretty damn comprehensive, there actually is a whole lot of stuff that I purposely left out, skipped over or just felt didn’t fit right as a part of this guide.

Luckily, I fully plan on sharing all of it right here on a regular basis. To make sure you never miss any of it, be sure to subscribe to A Calorie Counter via email using the form directly below this article or on the top right side of this page.

UPDATE #1: If you want to lose body fat as quickly and effectively as realistically possible… WITHOUT losing muscle, without giving up the foods you love, without feeling hungry all the time, without doing tons of cardio, without metabolic slowdown, without annoying diet rules and restrictions, and without the countless problems and mistakes that cause most people to fail, I just spent a year creating the perfect program for you. Learn all about it right here: Superior Fat Loss

UPDATE #2: If building muscle is your primary goal, and you want to do it as quickly and effectively as possible WITHOUT gaining excess body fat along the way… I have the perfect program for you as well. Learn all about it right here: Superior Muscle Growth

4. Give Me Your Feedback!

And last but not least, I want to hear your feedback. In fact, I want 3 different kinds of feedback.

  1. First, I want to know what you thought of the guide.
    I want to know what you liked best, what section was most useful, what you wish I covered in more detail or explained better, what you felt was missing (if anything), and basically your thoughts and opinions on the guide itself.
  2. Second, I want to answer your questions.
    If you had any questions about any aspect of diet or nutrition, creating your diet plan, reaching your specific goal (losing fat, building muscle, etc.), or anything else while reading any part of this guide, just leave a comment below and ask me. I will answer.
  3. Third, I want to hear how well it’s working for you.
    Once you start using the information contained in this guide, guess what’s going to happen? You’re going to start getting the results you want. Sounds good, huh? Trust me… it is. And when that starts happening for you, I want to hear all about it in the comments below.

The End

Well, that’s about it.

Once again I hope you liked the guide (and if you did, be sure to tell your friends about it) and I hope you actually use what you’ve learned from it.

I also hope you subscribe because I plan on writing similarly awesome and useful guides in the future.

And again, if you have any questions, comments, feedback or just want to tell me how well it’s working for you, just leave a comment below.

Enjoy your results.

(This article is part of a completely free and amazingly awesome guide to creating the absolute best diet plan possible for your exact goal and preferences. Check out the entire guide here: The Best Diet Plan)

1,012 thoughts on “The End Of The Best Diet Plan”

  2. First of all thanks for having the balls to write about all the bullshit that is going on about weight loss.
    This guide has been an eye opener!

  3. I’m an obese one searching for plan to get in shape.
    I found your article so amazing.
    Your guide is so clear and easy to adapt for each one.
    It makes me think it’s possible for my routine. I’m making my plan now.
    Thanks a lot. 😉

  4. First, I just wanted to say that I found this guide to be very helpful. I really enjoyed the way you wrote it and found it very accessible. There are definitely several things I will take from this and implement in my own life.
    I did however have a question.
    At one point you say that if you are not getting enough calories, you CANNOT build muscle. While I understand caloric intake is important, it seems to me that if you are getting plenty of protein, fats, carbs, and sending the right signals to your body that say muscle must be built, muscle will be built. You could be losing fat at the same time (if you are in a slight caloric deficit), and that energy could account for some of the energy needed to build the muscle you are putting on. Is this not possible? It seems like there has to be a way of losing fat and gaining muscle simultaneously.

  5. This is the best description and info I’ve read in years on getting the right amount to eat and specifically how many, cal. , proteins, fats and carbs. Thank you.

  6. Hey man. I think your guide does a pretty good job of explaining the basics of nutrition to a beginner but there are some points I would like to make.

    1. Regarding carbs, I think that there should be a bigger mention to fiber and its importance, as well as its recommended intake ( 15gr/1000cals perhaps). Also, the glycemic index is overrated and it just adds unnecessary worries

    2. The article about pre/post workout nutrition is a bit outdated ( all these things about high glycemic carbs after training and whey/dextrose shakes as well as the narrow timing)

    3. the idea of cheat meals 1-2 per week is a bit outdated too believe. Instead, the flexible dieting rule of 90/10 (fitting treats into your daily targets) seems like a more balanced and sustainable approach

    I was wondering if you ever plan to update your guide cause I’ve noticed in your recent articles you follow an approach similar to the points I made above.

    Thanks a lot

    • Yup, I’d agree with all 3 points. Most of this guide was written in 2010, but certain stuff (mainly the stuff about pre/post workout nutrition and cheat meals) was originally written back in 2007 and just inserted into this guide when I was putting it together.

      I definitely wouldn’t consider anything in those articles bad or truly wrong, just a bit outdated. And I do plan to update it one of these days.

    • Honestly? I wouldn’t even bother classifying it. Just take your best guess.

      Remember, this calculator exists to give you an estimated starting point. The key step is to then consistently consume this amount of calories and monitor what happens as a result. Is your body doing what you want it to do at the rate it should be? If so, awesome. The estimate was accurate. But if not… adjust up or down until it is. That’s what truly matters here.

  8. Thanks for doing the Best Diet Plan! I learnt so much and I love the way it is set out in order. I will definitely be recommending this to other people!

  9. I’ve just spent my entire afternoon and evening reading and calculating. This guide is so clear and well written that I’m sure I’ll be coming back to it time and again.

    I’ve tried the “standard” 1,200 calorie diet for years, but have been so irritable and lethargic that exercise is just gruesome and impossible. I’ve taken a recent interest in weight training and have spent four (clueless) weeks in my basement with a set of free weights, still eating mountains of bagged salad and wondering when all of the fabled energy and feelings of well being are going to come. Needless to say, my results have been disappointing.

    I’ve been reading so many confusing and conflicting articles regarding nutrition for women who want to lose weight and gain strength. This is the first one I’ve found that not only makes sense of what my body needs, but WHY it needs it. I was just about ready to give up on the whole idea, but now am energized and excited to start over again.

    I think I even saw a workout plan link somewhere 🙂 ….

    Anyways, thank you, thank you, thank you for the time you spent on this. It’s a game changer for me.

  10. Thank you a million for offering such an awesome guide. I spent 3 whole day reading it from the beginning to the ending. It solved it a lot of questions, and I believe I will benefit from it in the future. ^^

  12. Hi,
    Thank you for this article it was very helpful and now I know the right balance for what I must have in my diet.
    Please can you answer the following question for me:
    Is it alright to daily all your daily protein from protein shakes?
    If not, how much of your protein should come from shakes and how much from protein enriched foods? 🙂
    Thank you

  14. This was great information. I never really knew how many calories I should eat. After doing the calculations, I realize I have been nowhere near the amount of protein I should have been eating. Probably why I can’t lose weight, yet I work out and I’m not a bad eater.

    I have a few questions though:
    1) I also hear that if you are planning to lose fat through calorie deficit, the protein amount should be based on your goal weight not your current weight. Can you clarify?
    2) I work out really hard when I do kickboxing, apparently it burns over 700 calories. But, I only do this 3x per week. As I need the recovery days in between because my muscles are a bit sore. Should I be modifying my calories up/down based on workout days?
    3) I am finding it hard to find a menu plan that gives me the number of proteins, while not going over the daily grams of fat at the same time – which then becomes very hard not to go over my calorie count. Maybe you can generate a good list of foods that are high protein low fat (I am using the high range of protein of 1.2)

    I need 1750 calories per day, with 202 grams of protein and only 40 grams of fat. Tough to get that in without going over the 1750.

    Anyway, keep writing, you are very good at it.

    • 1. Depends on the person. For example, someone with 15lbs to lose should use their current weight. Someone with 75lbs to lose should use their goal weight.
      2. Your goal is to be in the overall net deficit you need to be in through whatever combination of diet and/or exercise you’re using.
      3. Chicken, turkey, tuna, lean cuts of meat, whey protein, etc. = high in protein and very low in fat.

  15. I saw you recommend a fixed number for gaining weight/muscle (250 cals for men/125 for women). Don’t you think that it would be better to give a percentage based on maintenance calories, just like when you set up a deficit? (like +10% for example). Also, do you think it is better to have a bigger surplus on training days and be at maintenance on off days than having a constant surplus every day?

    • 1. Nope. With a bigger deficit, fat loss will just happen faster for people with more fat to lose. With a bigger surplus, the person will just gain additional body fat (not build additional muscle).

      2. I am finishing up a book right now that contains a 50 page chapter about this very subject. Stay tuned.

  16. Great stuff! Thanks for a no BS approach. Just a couple questions. For figuring out your activity level, should the hours a day in the gym be factored in or not? I usually do 60 minutes of weights, 20 of cardio each day and a run for 3-6 miles on Sundays. Otherwise, desk job. A friend hired an Online trainer and he was told to choose not including gym activity. Seems like conflicting information.

    My second question is regarding the creatine. Do you recommend for women as well? I have never bulked and tried to build muscle, but haven’t achieved what I want this far by starving myself. How would I know if my calories are correct if I would be gaining additional pounds from water due to creatine?

    • Of course your workouts should be counted as a part of your activity level. But more importantly, the activity level you pick honestly doesn’t matter all that much. Just take your best guess or go with a number somewhere in between.

      Remember, this calculator exists to give you an estimated starting point. The key step is to then consistently consume this amount of calories and monitor what happens as a result. Is your body doing what you want it to do at the rate it should be? If so, awesome. The estimate was accurate. But if not… adjust up or down until it is. That’s what truly matters here.

      Yup, I’d recommend creatine just the same to women as men. A good first step would be to get your calorie intake figured out and ensure things are moving in the right direction at the ideal rate. Then once that’s in place, start taking creatine.

  17. This is truly awesome! Must of taken a lot of time to write this so i thought i would take some time myself (very little) to say thanks!
    Nice work and thanks again! 🙂

  19. Hi, your article has opened my eyes towards getting in shape. Right now im in the process of building muscle and this guide has really helped me. However I do have a doubt which is that if im eating whatever type of food and it has 4 grams of protein and 500 calories. I would be consuming 516 calories total? I just want to make sure.

  20. This is without a doubt the best, most helpful guide I’ve found. I’ve been working at getting things ‘right’ for a couple years now. I wish I had seen this from the beginning. It all made so much sense, and I love that you ‘outed’ all the scammy stuff. One of my biggest ‘beefs’ is that of course I’ve looked for a lot of help, and you learn real fast that everyone is going to tell you whats right, wrong, and shoot down what your doing. THat can be so discouraging and this was clearly written with a straight forward, objective approach that anyone starting out or needing to learn more NEEDS. I’m definitely going to be reading more and looking for advice. I originally started 5’10” 254lbs, and brought myself to about 210lb mix matching and really struggling toward the end (and eventually went back up to 222lb). I now feel very confident that I will be able to successfully achieve my goal of 180lb-190lb with lean muscle. My one question, which I think was the one area that you did speak to both sides (which again, gave me so much confidence in your approach) was in regards to working out now to lose weight, or weight until the weight it gone and then work up from there. Originally I had started working out and found that’s when I could no longer drop weight. I’ve been told both the ‘more muscles, more calories burned’ and also the ‘ lose it all, build it back lean’ Any advice you can give about that, and in regards to that if it should be cardio, resistance, or combined. I’d really appreciate some clarification, possibly in email, however I am about to begin reading your workout guides. Again, THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH. YOUR AWESOME.

  21. This was a great article. I am 43 6′-0″ and when I started running and watching my diet on July 2, 2014, I was at my heaviest ever at 240 lbs. I could barely do an 1/8th of a mile before I had to walk a bit. Now I run 2.5 to 3 miles everyday M-F. I weighed in at 215 lbs August 28th, and haven’t lost (or gained) a single pound since. My ultimate goal is 180 lbs. And now I know why. Thank you so much for wiping away all the BS that I have read over past few very frustrating weeks.

    I look forward to reading many more of your articles in the immediate future.

  22. I can’t tell if this was written by one person or if it was a collaboration, but either way, thank you very much for helping to spread quality information about nutrition to people. There is just so much bullshit out there and it can be hard to discern fact from fiction. If only this article was immediately available to everybody looking to make themselves healthier. It’s crazy that this article was written in 2010 and questions are still being answered four years later.

    I guess one thing that is not talked about in this article is how to accurately and efficiently count calories. I’m sure it is somewhere on this website but nowhere in this article is it mentioned. Anyway, thanks again!!

  25. M engaged in exercise and diet routine from last 2 years and lost weight about 25 kg without any supplement & had read 1000 of articles from renowned authors.But the matter written by u really makes sense….will follow the instructions and put in action to check the results…will surely get back to you with the feedback.

    Keep updating us sir….God bless u

  26. So i have been reading your blog for a whole day. And i think its the best i have ever come across so far, with satisfying answers and debunking myths. Got my head clear. Thanks ACalorieCounter, i wish i knew your name. But for now, whatever your preferences are! They work really well!!!!!

  27. Just nearing the end of your ‘The Best Diet Plan’ article.

    On the page titled ‘Diet Goals’ you have listed 4 categories with the 4th (Combine) being the one that i am most interested in.

    However, a couple links later on the ‘Calorie Maintenance Level – Daily Calorie Requirements Calculator’ page, you only have the first 3 options listed, at the part where you have us ‘figure out exactly how many calories you need to eat per day to reach your specific goal’.

    So, is there a method for the ‘Combine’ category, or do we just figure it out through trial & error?

    Thanks.

  29. My man,

    That article rocked! Tons of useful information that I have incorporating and referencing in my daily health and fitness routines. I especially enjoyed reading the sections on macro nutrient and fish oil.

    Question for yah:

    How much protein can a person “absorb” at once?
    I’m sure you’re familiar with the highly accepted idea that the body can somehow only absorb 30 g of protein per hour ( or 2 or 3 hrs etc.)

    Is there any truth to this? Or more BS?

    • That “highly accepted idea” is total bullshit. There is virtually no sane limit to the amount of protein the body can absorb at once. You can eat 60g of protein per meal or more (I do it daily) and your body will still digest/absorb it just fine. It’ll just take long than if it was 30g.

  30. Hi,

    Its really been a wonderful article about the diet n building muscles. I think, if you really have the patience to go through every link n figure out exactly what u want from your body. I think its possible to make it happen as well. My deepest gratitude towards you for such wonderful information. Its been really helpful to me. Thanks a lot 🙂

  31. Awesome Guide, Thank you!

    On 4th Aug, John said the pre/post workout nutrition was outdated, to which you agreed.

    Please can you briefly explain what the modern way is.

  32. Superb! Ive looked everywhere for decent information. All I ever seem to find is complicated BS, this article really helped. It was so clear and broken down really well and just made so much sense.

    Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

  33. Thank you for putting this document together. What an amazing and easy read, I have learned so much by reading your complimentary guide.

  34. Jeez thanks man (or woman), you are a most useful individual. I was one of those people who just didn’t have a clue what to believe and what not. Thanks for clarifying. Today marks the beginning of a journey.

  35. Awesome, Awesome!

    1. What’s the reason you say that a PRE workout meal isn’t needed if you exercise 1st thing in the morning?

    2. In regards to fish, and chicken (and most of my food really)…. I LOVE seasoning my food with something called “Maggi Seasoning”. I’ve heard in the past that you cant season your protein, or else you loose all the protein. How true is this?

    Btw the ingredients are: SALT, HYDROGENATED PALM OIL (CONTAINS SOY LECITHIN), MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, WHEAT FLOUR, SUGAR, ONION POWDER, AUTOLYZED YEAST EXTRACT, DEHYDRATED PARSLEY, COLOUR, DISODIUM INOSINATE, DISODIUM GUANYLATE, SPICES, FLAVOUR.

    • 1. I don’t say that. I say that if you’re training first thing in the morning, you’re not going to be able to have a meal 1-2 hours before. So, some kind of protein/carb drink consumed before/during the workout would be the only doable option (unless you prefer training fasted).

      2. That is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard. Ever.

  37. Dear Author,
    At last in your site I found the good information I always was searching for and exactly in the way it makes me understand and retain – simplified. And that too without asking for my credit card number.

    I am applying your principles and started with a plan. I am still not fully sure whether my CML estimated is correct or not. But no problem, I will anyway find out once I am close to my target weight loss and the plan is WORKING for me. I have already shed 4 Kgs in the past 5 weeks since I started working on my plan. I am actually able to predict to an extent what weight I will reach by say a week or few days from now. The success I got so far is very motivating and encouraging. I thank you for this site of yours. I anticipate challenges when I close in towards my target. For now because I am quite obese the estimates (of CML and daily calorie count of the food I take) are working because I am trying to be safe and be on the lower end of CML estimates and take a higher estimate of the food I intake. But later on I will need to be more accurate at both. I will keep you posted as it progresses.

  38. I love your articles, thanks a lot.
    My goal is to build muscles but the calorie surplus part worries me cos I’m being careful about my Tummy growing big. How can I avoid disproportionate fat/weight gain?

  39. On workout days my maintenance level is 2330 including activity level, so with 250 caloric surplus is 2580.

    On non-workout days my maintenance level is 1810 with no exercise. So with 250 caloric surplus is 2060

    Can you pls tell me from this examples which is the most ideal?

    Example 1:
    1. 2580 – Training Day
    2. 2580 – Training Day
    3. 2580 – Rest Day (maintenance level + activity level + surplus)
    4. 2580 – Training Day
    5. 2580 – Training Day
    6. 2580 – Rest Day (maintenance level + activity level + surplus)
    7. 2580 – Rest Day (maintenance level + activity level + surplus)

    Example 2:
    1. 2580 – Training Day
    2. 2580 – Training Day
    3. 2060 – Rest Day (maintenance level + surplus)
    4. 2580 – Training Day
    5. 2580 – Training Day
    6. 2060 – Rest Day (maintenance level + surplus)
    7. 2060 – Rest Day (maintenance level + surplus)

    Example 1. As you can see; Rest Days = maintenance level + activity level + surplus. Even if no activity level on rest days, I eat the same like on training days, so I think my surplus is bigger than 250 on that day. This is like your example you wrote on your book Superior Muscle Growth on the straight surplus topic.

    Example 2. As you can see; Rest Days = maintenance level + surplus. I think this is more ideal because I take the 250 surplus that supposed to take in a day. Because my activity level on rest days not like on training days.

    What you think?

      • Let’s say if my maintenance level on rest days is 1810 (Sedentary) but my maintenance level on training days is 2330 (Moderately Active) because of activity level.
        So my maintenance level on rest days is not like the maintenance level that I have on training days.
        Now let’s say that I decided to go to the straight surplus and add 250 surplus over my maintenance level.
        So on training days I take 2330 + 250 = 2580 (moderately active maintenance level + surplus). Ok I know that this is good.

        And on rest days which is the properly intake A or B?

        A. Rest day 2330 + 250 = 2580 (moderately active maintenance level + surplus). So I calculated my maintenance level the same like training days and eats the same amount on rest days.

        B. Rest Day 1810 + 250 = 2060 (Sedentary maintenance level + surplus). So I calculated my maintenance level without the activity level that I have on training days.

        I think the (B) make more sense because on rest days my maintenance level not burning the same amount of calories like on training days. And if I eat like (A) I think that the extra 520 calories store as fat (2330 -1810 = 520) because the 2330 is the maintenance level of training days not of the rest days.

        Which one is good A or B? Waiting for your advice thanks.

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